Mission

As we rapidly advance in our understanding of biological systems, an informational divide develops between those doing the research and those affected by the research. Our mission of reaching out to the community strives to bridge that gap to create an informed public, essential for the understanding, application, and integration of these scientific findings into such fields as medicine, agriculture, and law.

With this mission in mind, we are continuously looking for opportunities to increase the public interest and awareness of plant biology. We have found these opportunities within our own building, community, state, and country through a variety of programs:

Internships

Photo of our 2007 summer interns.

Curriculum Development Workshop

Each year teachers from around New York State come to the Boyce Thompson Institute for 3 days to learn about scientific advances in plant genomics research and to revise and create new classroom projects related to plant biology. 2008 Applications can be found at http://bti.cornell.edu/pgrp.

Workshops, Tours, and Fairs in 2007

We love hosting groups, visiting classrooms, and being involved with fairs! The following is a list of some of the activities with which we have been involved.

• KidsCount Nature Explorers Club: Each semester we choose a different local elementary school to visit. At the after school program, we present a variety of hands-on activities related to plants, insects, worms, and other creatures. Participating "explorers" learn about plant diversity, seed germination, extract DNA from strawberries, and lots more!
• 4-H Activities: Expanding Your Horizons: Each year, we participate in the Expanding Your Horizons (EYH) Program. This program targets 10 to 12 yr girls interested in science and allows them experience hands-on science with activities such as determining aphid food choice and bacterial DNA preps. Career Explorations: 4-H program for 7th-8th grade students. During this program students are exposed to current research at BTI as well as discussions about careers in plant science.
• Local school visits. Each year we visit several local schools. This past year, Dr Georg Jander gave a lecture at Ithaca High School. Also we made several visits to the Cascadilla School.

The Boyce Thompson Institute strives not only to be a premier plant research institute, but also a leader in educational outreach and community involvement. We hope by creating and sponsoring educational programs such as college internships, after school programs and teacher workshops that we have begun to reach that goal.

If you are interested in any of these programs, please email Elizabeth Fox at the email address listed below.

Email: pgrp-outreach@cornell.edu

Outreach Website: http://bti.cornell.edu/pgrp.